Hong Kong & China

A Hong Kong demonstrator was shot with a live round by police during pro-democracy protests Tuesday. Tens of thousands of people defied China’s protest ban during its celebration of the 70th anniversary of Communist Party rule.

North Korea update

North Korea announced yesterday morning that it will be sitting down with the U.S. this weekend to resume talks surrounding its nuclear weapons program - this was confirmed by U.S. State Department officials. Earlier today, South Korea and Japan both reported that North Korea fired two projectiles, one of which landed in Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

Ruling on Harvard admissions

A Massachusetts Federal district judge ruled in favor of Harvard University yesterday in a case involving the college’s undergraduate admissions process, specifically how it pertains to Asian Americans. Reports indicate that many expect this case to make its way to the Supreme Court.

Autonomous Airlines

UPS has secured FAA approval to operate a full “drone airline,” the first countrywide license the regulatory agency has granted - as we covered recently, Alphabet subsidiary Wing was the first to receive an FAA license but it was confined to a specific area within Virginia. The company will be focusing on building drone delivery services for hospital campuses nationwide before expanding to additional industries.

Good Luck Chuck

On Monday, Charles Schwab will slash its online trading commissions for U.S. stocks, ETFs and options from $4.95 per trade to zero. This comes amidst an industry shift towards commission free trading that started with Robinhood in 2013, causing established companies like JP Morgan, Charles Schwab and Interactive Brokers to roll out commission free offerings.

UAW - GM update

GM has idled one of its pickup-truck plants in Mexico as the UAW strike enters its 17th day. Per the WSJ, the two sides are still far away from a deal - JP Morgan estimated the strike has led to a $1 billion hit so far for the nation’s largest automaker.

Taking stock

The major stock indices dropped following the release of the Institute for Supply Management’s survey of US manufacturers - the institute’s manufacturing index fell to its lowest level since June 2009. Yesterday, the Dow lost 1.3% (344 points), the S&P 500 closed trading down 1.23% (37 points), and the Nasdaq lost 1.13% (91 points).

A whole new world (pt. 2)

In February, just one day after turning 3 years old, Quinn Waters was diagnosed with medulloblastoma – a type of brain cancer that can be aggressive for young children. For the last three months, his treatment schedule dictated that Quinn had to stay in the house rather than enjoy the summer outside with his friends.

As we covered in an earlier edition, Quinn’s Massachusetts community has come out for him in a big way – from his seat at the window, he’s been treated to parades of trucks, motorcycles, and hotrods, and visits from superheroes, Disney princesses, and professional athletes. Neighbors come out to sit on Quinn’s lawn and witness the excitement, creating a festival atmosphere on a regular basis – all to celebrate The Mighty Quinn.

But on Sunday, Quinn got an even more exciting gift: an outing to the beach. Doctors approved an outdoor excursion for Quinn for the first time – other than doctor’s appointments and short trips into the backyard – in three months. While the whole situation has been a rollercoaster of emotions, Quinn’s dad said, the family is riding high after this news. With the support of a community like Quinn’s, anything is possible.

Wedding Crasher

Matheus and Marília had rain on their wedding day in São Paulo, Brazil, but that didn’t dim the excitement. The couple gathered under a tent with all their closest friends and family – and another unexpected guest. At the moment everyone was expecting a first glimpse of the bride, a little tan stray pup came trotting down the aisle instead.

Laughing, guests shooed the dog back out of the tent, and the show went on. But the puppy was determined to join the party – and get a break from the rainy weather – so he crept back in and passed out on Marília’s veil during the ceremony. Later, when the rain stopped, the pup ran off – but the newlyweds had already fallen in love (again).

Over the following days, they searched for the little wedding crasher. After a week, they finally found him! They took him home, washed him, fed him, and named him Snoop. Marília, a self-declared animal lover, said she was thrilled he crashed their wedding - now, they’ve got a happily-ever-after that’s even better than a fairy tale!

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